The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the Commission), meeting at its 85th Ordinary Session, held from 7th to 30 October 2025 in Banjul, The Gambia;
Recalling its mandate under Article 45 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the African Charter) to promote and protect human and peoples’ rights;
Recalling also its Resolution ACHPR/Res.51(XXVIII)2000 on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples’ Communities in Africa, which established the Working Group on Indigenous Populations/Communities in Africa and mandated it to undertake studies and research on the implications of the African Charter for Indigenous Populations/Communities in Africa;
Further recalling its Resolution ACHPR/Res.430(LXV)2019 on the Recognition, Promotion and Protection of Indigenous Languages, which underscores the importance of legal recognition and documentation of Indigenous languages and activities that inherently rely on identifying and mapping the communities and their languages;
Affirming its Resolution ACHPR/Res.455(LXVI)2020), on the Renewal of the Mandate, Appointment of the Chairperson, Reconstitution and Expansion of Mandate of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations/Communities, in Africa which expanded the mandate of the Working Group to include the rights of minorities and mandated it to undertake studies and research on issues affecting minorities in Africa;
Further recalling its Resolution ACHPR/Res.561(LXXV)2023 on Conducting a Study on Integrating Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in National Development Planning in Africa, which highlights that minorities and Indigenous groups are often excluded from comprehensive socio-economic data and calls for enhanced disaggregated data and monitoring
Also recalling its Resolution ACHPR/Res.619(LXXXI)2024), on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Communities Discriminated by Work and Descent (CDWD) in Africa which identified communities discriminated against on the basis of work and descent as subject to systemic marginalization, and committed the Commission to undertake a continental study on their situation;
Noting that the Working Group has commenced work towards the development of a Study on Mapping Ethnic, Cultural, Linguistic, and Religious Minorities in Africa, a the first comprehensive mapping exercise of its kind under the expanded mandate of the Working Group, and that it has undergone technical review by expert members of the Working Group, and that the next step, in accordance with Commission practice, is comprehensive stakeholder validation and consultation;
Affirming the importance of inclusive engagement with Member States, ethnic, cultural, linguistic, and regional minorities, civil society organizations, National Human Rights Institutions, and other relevant actors to ensure the legitimacy, quality, and impact of the Study;
THE COMMISSION:
1. Mandates the Working Group to continue with the work associated with the conduct of the study of Mapping Ethnic, Cultural, Linguistic, and Religious Minorities in Africa;
2. Requests the Working Group, with the support of the Secretariat, to facilitate a transparent and inclusive stakeholder validation process for the draft Study, including by circulating the Study for comments, organizing validation meetings or consultations, and ensuring the participation of Member States, ethnic, cultural, linguistic, and regional minorities, civil society organizations, National Human Rights Institutions, and other stakeholders;
3. Calls upon all relevant stakeholders, including Member States, National Human Rights Institutions, ethnic, cultural, linguistic, and regional minorities, and civil society organizations, to actively participate in the validation and consultation process and provide constructive feedback to enhance the quality and relevance of the Study;
Done during the 85th Ordinary Session, held from 7th to 30 October 2025 in Banjul, The Gambia
